Runners Favored Over Princeton; Tigers Last Beat Crimson in '32

NO WRITER ATTRIBUTED
May 2, 1969

The varsity track team is favored to capture its fourth victory of the season Saturday as it tangles with Princeton in a 1 p.m. meet at Soliders' Field.

Harvard holds an 18-6 edge in the series, which started in 1919, and the Tigers have to go all the way back to 1932 to find their name in the victory column. In last year's meet, Harvard took a lopsided 104-50 triumph.

This season, the undefeated Crimson thinclads have twice passed the century mark in points, and have defeated powerful Army by more that 20 points. In their latest performance this week, Harvard overwhelmingly won its eighth consecutive Greater Boston crown, outdistancing runner-up Boston College by 971/2 points.

The Crimson field men, who won three-fourths of the field events in the Greater Boston meet, will figure heavily in tomorrow's competition.

Senior Dick Benka, who hasn't lost in a dual meet since his sophomore year, is a solid shot put favorite, and Richie Szaro could easily dominate the javelin throw. Szaro, the Harvard record-holder, outthrew teammates Frank Champi and Henry Bernson, both former record-holders, by 3 feet in the Greater Boston meet.

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Hammer Threats

Charlie Ajootian and Ed Nosal will be top threats in the hammer throw tomorrow. Ajootian was the winner of the event in last weekend's Penn Relays, although Nosal edge him out in the Grater Boston's. Benka and Bruce Hedendal will form another strong duo in the discus throw. Hedendal was a fourth-place finisher in the Penn Relays.

The Tiger' Bob Foucher and Bob Hohf could cause trouble for the Crimson's jumpers and vaulters, who won three of their four events at the GBC's. Foucher won the long jump in the Crimson's indoor meet with Yale and Princeton this winter, while Hohf outjumped Harvard's Pete Lazarus in the pole vault.

Another close contest could develop in both the mile and two-mile runs. Princeton's Eamon Downey holds the indoor two-mile record for the Tigers, and will present a stiff challenge to the Crimson's Dave Pottetti and Tim McCloone. He will probably run the mile also, where Harvard's Royce Shaw looms as the favorite.